What is the right template for ODI cricket? Possessing more batting depth or selecting the better bowler? On the surface, both alternatives have their own merits and demerits. To gauge the essence of the answer, one has to sift through the information case-by-case basis. Here, the case study is about whether Kuldeep Yadav or Washington Sundar should be picked in ODI cricket. And with India slipping to a 50-over series defeat in Australia, it has become a hotly-debated topic.
Before delving deeper into Washington versus Kuldeep, there is one more jigsaw to be added to the narrative — Hardik Pandya’s absence owing to an injury. The all-rounder provides the much-needed stability to the Indian team in the abridged versions of the game. He hasn’t just essayed vital hands with the bat, but he also balances the side by bowling hard lengths and variations. With Hardik not in the mix, Nitish Reddy, another seam-bowling all-rounder, has been given opportunities.
For starters, Nitish can’t replicate Hardik’s traits to bowl the hard length. Even more than his batting, it is Hardik’s skills to put enough energy behind his back-of-a-length offerings in the middle phase of the innings that make him an asset. On expected lines, Nitish ended up bowling only three overs in the second ODI in Adelaide.
Moreover, Nitish has been slotted in as low as No. 8 in the batting order in this series. Just that Nitish isn’t one of India’s main frontline bowlers to bat at a position lower than six. In some ways, the same can be said about Washington. Granted, that the spin-bowling all-rounder took a wicket or two in the Adelaide ODI. But even in that game, he didn’t bowl more than seven overs. It gives an inkling that Shubman Gill, the skipper, doesn’t exactly look at him as one of his main bowling weapons.
Over 25 ODIs, Washington has been used for less than 150 overs. That equates to a fraction less than six overs per game. Moreover, the conditions for the Australia-India series have been such that picking two finger spinners — the other one being Axar Patel — seems like a luxury. The only advantage that Washington has over Axar when it comes to bowling is that Australia fielded three left-handers in the previous game. And that goes well with Washington’s off-breaks from round the wicket.
Washington also is batting as low as No. 7. The left-hander isn’t really known for his ability to provide the finishing touches to an innings. In the two games he has played in the series so far, his scores have been 12 and 10. Excavate more details from his record and you will notice that when India needed just 116 in a T20I in Zimbabwe last year, Washington aggregated 27 off 34 deliveries and his side lost the game. Once more it gives credence to the point that India shouldn’t slot him as a finisher.
Washington could very well become one of the pillars of the Indian Test side. But if he has to establish his place in ODI cricket, then he has to secure a berth in the top six of India’s batting order. This is also the right time to bring the trump card into the equation — Kuldeep. The wrist spinner is at the peak of his prowess. His attributes to not just impart enough revs on the ball, but also his bowling smarts to outwit the opponent, have made him a quality bowler at the highest level.
Unlike the finger-spinning duo, Kuldeep turns it both ways. He also has developed a quicker one. With enough ammunition in his artillery, he could have made a telling difference in the second match of the ongoing series. Apply some commonsense, and it seems like a foregone conclusion that Kuldeep would add more heft to the side with his bowling alone over the perceived all-round capabilities of either Nitish or Washington.
Sometimes, batting depth is an illusion. If a team has the required resources for positions down the order, then it will give a buffer to the line-up. However, with the Indian think-tank, it feels as if they are trying to fix a Hardik-shaped hole with a couple of square pegs in the form of Washington and Nitish. Even when Hardik returns to the ODI set-up, India should eye more batting depth only if they have the right kind of players suited for the roles already mentioned.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news